


Take The Seconds of This Life (And Pull Them Through Your Palms)

by comicfanperson



Series: You Keep Turning My Life Around [1]
Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe- Study Group, Angst, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, my love for the o5 is the only thing keeping me going at this point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26350327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comicfanperson/pseuds/comicfanperson
Summary: Warren Worthington the Third is still learning to cope at Xavier's Institute. He is in for a surprise when it turns out that he's not the only one struggling, but will they all get along?
Relationships: Bobby Drake & Jean Grey & Hank McCoy & Scott Summers & Warren Worthington III
Series: You Keep Turning My Life Around [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914727
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	Take The Seconds of This Life (And Pull Them Through Your Palms)

**Author's Note:**

> damn im back at it again, starting an AU and being completely obsessed with it to the point of being the only thing i can think abt for weeks straight.  
> anyways, the continuity is a weird mix of the Alternate Timeline Movies and the X-Men First Class comics so just like. enjoy? i guess?

Warren Worthington the Third had quite a few regrets over the years, big and small, he just kept managing to rack them up. But right now, his biggest regret was agreeing to come to this over hyped “Institute.” He’d been promised so many things that really had come true, such as schedules that would work  _ with  _ him and not against him, interesting courses, and engaging teachers. But in all honestly he was really… underwhelmed. 

Maybe it was the lack of parties, since the prep school he’d originally been attending was full of them, and he’d gone to as many as he possibly could. But he wasn’t sure that was the issue, since being at this Institute his sleep schedule had drastically improved, and the teachers really seemed like they cared. Especially Xavier, because Warren knew that if he had turned down the Professor’s offer his parents would probably still be paying off his teachers for A’s. 

The teen sighed dramatically and stared out the window of his current classroom, a bored frown on his face. He missed knowing people, and having conversations with students his own age. No one knew how to have a real conversation here. It was so _ frustrating.  _

“-and don’t forget to complete your homework by Monday. Have a nice weekend everyone,” his chemistry teacher said cheerfully, cutting into Warren’s thoughts. He groaned and gathered up his things, glad that he wouldn’t have to go to another class for another couple of days.

“Uh, Warren, Jean, Bobby, and Scott, could you four hold back for a moment?” she asked. Warren sighed, he knew what this meant. Maybe he’d have to call his parents after all. 

He noticed the others that she’d asked to stay back, and realized that he kind of knew all of them. Jean was more because of her popularity among the kids in this school for being kind and pretty, Bobby because the kid had accidentally thrown a sticky hand on his face the other day, and Scott’s older brother was actually a teacher for one of Warren’s classes, plus the fact he was always wearing sunglasses was really annoying. 

Warren was shocked out of his thoughts by a knock on the door, and then another guy entered the room, Hank McCoy, and Warren knew  _ him _ because Xavier had brought him here for science reasons, and not school ones. Or that's what Warren had initially thought. 

“Hank, I’m so glad you’re here,” the teacher smiled. 

Oh this was going to be  _ really _ interesting. 

“Hello,” Hank grinned. 

She turned back to Warren and the others, smiling gently, “So, Professor Xavier has noticed each of you are… struggling in various different ways with this class, and we’ve decided that it’d be best to put together a study group. Each of you has a different strength, and we’re hoping that you’ll each have something to offer someone else.” 

“A study group,” Scott repeated, dumbfounded.

“Yes! And Hank McCoy here is very adept at this subject, and will be here to help all of you, as well as complete his own specialized course here at the Institute.”

Warren felt instantly uncomfortable, and as he looked at the other four, he noticed they were feeling similarly. 

She gave a sympathetic hum, “I know all of you might be feeling embarrassed but don’t be, this could be a good thing for all of you. Why don’t you five stay here and talk for a bit? I have something I need to take to Xavier anyways.”

The teens nodded and watched with wide eyes as she left the room, leaving behind an extremely awkward air. 

“Alright,” Bobby said with more confidence than he really held, “Icebreaker, what’s your worst trauma?”

Jean rolled her eyes and Hank sighed, Warren felt both of those reactions resonate with him.

“That’s an awful icebreaker,” Scott frowned, “Have you ever even done one of those before?”

“It’s sarcasm, I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” Bobby said stubbornly. 

“Oh.”

Jean laughed softly, “That nervous, Summers?”

“No,” he argued pitifully.

“Sure.”

Hank sighed again, and Warren got a feeling that was Hank’s go-to reaction, “Why don’t we just say how long we’ve been here and how old we are?”

“Oh! And our favorite colors!” Bobby insisted. 

“And our favorite colors,” Hank  acquiesced.

“I’ll go first,” Jean offered, “I’ve been here for four weeks, I’m seventeen, and my favorite color is green.” 

  
  


“Only four weeks?” Hank said, genuinely surprised, “You must be quite popular, even I’ve heard chatter about you.”

“It’s my superpower,” Jean joked, giving a wink.

Scott adjusted his sunglasses, fidgeting a bit from where he was standing, “Must be, I can’t think of anyone else who became so well known across the school as quickly as you did.”

Jean shyly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, “I think my connections to Professor Xavier did most of the work.” 

“Really?” Warren asked skeptically, “I thought it was the fact that you managed to get  _ Laura Kinney’s  _ good side so quickly.”

“Stroke of luck, I guess,” Jean shrugged, “What about you, Hank? I had no idea Xavier was accepting, uh, non-students?”

Hank chuckled, “I’m definitely a student here, just not a traditional one. In any case, I’ve been here for three months, and I’m nineteen. Oh, and my favorite color is blue.”

“Same!” Bobby shouted, giving Hank a high five. It took the older teen a second to catch on, but he did. It was so strange for Warren to see that, if only because it reminded him that not everyone got to grow up in a huge social circle, and that not everyone had confidence when it came to creating social circles. 

“What about you, Mister Cool?” Jean asked Warren teasingly, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“I’ve been here two agonizingly long months, I’m eighteen, and I like… uhh, red, I guess,” Warren shrugged. 

Scott smirked, “Someone must hate it here. Your parents?”

“Nope, I agreed to it. Starting to wish I didn’t.”    
  


“Aren’t you edgy,” Jean teased. 

Warren made a face, “I’ve always tried to be more of a prep type.”

“You do come from a New York prep school, so that checks out,” Scott added. Warren wasn’t sure if he wanted to strangle Scott Summers or figure out when exactly everything went wrong for that kid. 

“Okay, my turn,” Bobby stated, causing Warren to break out of his astonished staring, “I’ve been here for three months, I’m fifteen, and my favorite color is blue!”

“You already said that bit,” Jean pointed out, smiling anyways. 

“I can say it again, what if you forgot?”

Hank frowned, “In the span of a few minutes? Bobby, I don’t thin-”    
  
Jean cut him off though, giving Hank a sympathetic and warm smile, “Alright, fair enough.” 

He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was a deep understanding happening between those two for a moment, where Jean was trying to tell Hank something that clearly wasn’t practiced by him. Hank relaxed after a second though, and returned her smile. Warren was amazed. 

“Thank you, Jean,” Bobby said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Warren rolled his eyes, but looked back over at Scott Summers, still enraptured by the roller coaster ride this guy seemed to be. 

“So, teacher’s pet, your turn,” Warren said to Scott, genuinely curious despite sounding like he was picking on the kid. 

“I’m his brother,” Scott corrected, scrunching up his nose indignantly, “And he brought me here a year ago, I’m seventeen, and my favorite color is the black void I’m forced to stare into everyday.” 

“Very funny,” Warren said tiredly. 

“He’s not joking,” Hank said with a shrug. 

“What?” 

Scott crossed his arms over his chest defensively, “Yeah, dude, I’m  _ blind.”  _

Ah, that would explain the sunglasses. 

“So does Xavier just collect child freaks, then?” Warren said suddenly, thinking of what he knew about Jean and Bobby too. He felt… cheated. It wasn’t like he thought he’d be the only student at the school with  _ personal  _ issues, but he’s surprised and angry that Xavier had never mentioned that he just went around and collected them. He hadn’t wanted to be given special attention, or thrown into a group of people that  _ were _ getting it, simply because his back was out for revenge. 

Jean’s word cut through his thoughts, though, firm and certain, “No, he helps students who need it.” 

But Warren was angry, and he wasn’t thinking. In that moment all he cared about was his own anger, the supposed omission of truth that haunted him, and he just couldn’t hold it in. 

“C’mon, Jeannie-”   
  
_ “Jeannie?” _ _   
_ _   
_ “-think about it! Everything I’ve heard about the students here is that they’re abandoned _ freaks,  _ burdens on their families sent off to a place where they don’t have to be dealt with. I know what I am, I know what all of you  _ are,  _ why lie to ourselves?! Why pretend to be something we’re not? Because just look at us. We’re unwanted freaks.”

The air in the room was thick and cloying with Warren’s angry outburst, and he saw that Jean’s lips were pursed in a determined and angry way; her eyes were clouded with angry tears. Hank looked taken aback, and then went right back to embarrassed and shy, Scott seemed to be simply tired from the way his shoulders were hunched forward, and Bobby-

Bobby was crying. The kid had backed up a few feet, and was hugging himself tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks like he’d just seen someone’s head blown off. 

Guilt washed over Warren in waves as he looked at him, and he realized the true weight of what he’d just said. 

“Bobby-” 

“We’re not freaks, and we’re  _ not  _ unwanted,” Bobby said with absolute certainty, shaking like a leaf, then he turned and ran. 

“I’m… I’m  _ sorry _ ,” Warren managed to choke out, but it was too little too late. 

“Nice going,” Jean spat, she gathered her bag up roughly, and left the room genuinely seething. 

Hank grimaced, “I’ll see you all later.” And he left too. 

Leaving Warren alone with Scott. 

“You leaving too?” Warren asked darkly. 

“No, I’m going to stay in here all night. Sleeping on the desks sounds  _ very  _ appealing,” Scott said sarcastically. 

Warren scoffed, but didn’t really move from where he was leaning against his desk.

“Let’s get out of here,” the other boy suggested softly. 

Warren took in a deep, shuddering breath, “Didn’t what I say make you mad?”

“Of course it did, but I don’t see how storming out is going to help. Besides, I think I’m stuck with you in this study group for the next few weeks anyways, better make the most of it.”

Warren was dumbfounded. Someone was still here? He wasn’t completely alone again? It didn’t really make sense. 

“You coming or what?” Scott asked as he left the classroom. Warren quickly picked up his bag and went after Scott.

“I thought you were blind?”   
  
“Didn’t hear your footsteps,” Scott shrugged. 

“Oh… Where are we going?”

“I like walking around the pond before dinner, I used to do it with Alex before, he uh, he got really busy.” 

Warren nodded, then blushed when he realized Scott couldn’t see it, “Okay.”

They walked in companionable silence, Warren mulling over what had happened in his head. He felt awful. He hadn’t only made a kid cry, but he had just lashed out in anger. They weren’t really unwanted, because they’d all been invited here, right? A ball of anxiety and regret grew in the pit of his stomach as he chastised himself for being so stupid. He didn’t even _ know  _ these people, and he was literally just complaining about  _ not  _ having friends. God, why was he like this? 

“Do you think they’ll be back?” Warren found himself asking in the emptiness of the corridor, not really expecting Scott to answer him. But he was pleasantly surprised when Scott stopped and turned to him. 

“Give me your hand,” Scott said.

“What?”   
  
“Just- trust me.” 

Warren hesitantly allowed Scott to hold his hand, and felt Scott tighten his hold on it. It was so weird, but Warren realized this was the first bit of physical affection he’d gotten from someone in weeks. It hurt so desperately, but only because he knew it would have to end, and he wasn’t sure he wanted it to.

“Okay,” Scott breathed out, stopping in his tracks so they were awkwardly standing in a random corridor with their hands clutched so tightly together, “Warren, here’s the thing, you said something hurtful. You can’t erase that, but you can come back from it. No one’s going to abandon you over that mistake, because it’s pretty obvious that you need help. You need to learn how to accept yourself.

“I don’t know much about you other than your name, and how long you’ve been here, and that you came from a boarding school in New York, but I think we could be real friends. You just… need some help. You need time, and people who really care about you.”

Warren’s breath was stuck in his throat, he felt his eyes become wet with tears threatening to spill down his red-hot cheeks. He wasn’t sure how to respond to any of that, because he’d never considered that it was possible for someone to still care even after he fucked up. He just wasn’t sure how to respond to or process anything right now.    
  
So, instead he let go of Scott’s hand and threw his arms around his neck, hugging the other teen tightly. His heart was full and warm and this was all he could think of to thank Scott. 

Unfortunately, Scott wasn’t expecting that at all. He stumbled backwards with an ‘oof!’ and would’ve crashed to the floor if it weren’t for Warren pulling him back to keep him upright. 

“Sorry! Sorry,” Warren apologized quickly, stepping back and checking Scott over to make sure he was okay. 

Scott grinned, “It’s okay, I just… that really came out of nowhere.”

Warren pushed back his bangs nervously, “I… yeah I guess it did. Thank you, Scott. Seriously. I needed to hear that.”

“Yeah, well, we’re all a little fucked up aren’t we?” 

“I guess we are,” Warren said softly, placing a warm and thankful hand on Scott’s shoulder blades. They went to the pond, and Warren thought that maybe he could make it up to the others after all. 

It was beautiful at this time, with the sun starting to set and casting a bright golden glow on everything. Warren breathed in the fresh air, watched as the littler kids ran around shrieking as they tossed frisbees and balls, played games and just… acted like kids. 

“Warren! Scott!” Hank called out from where he was sitting by a big oak tree, his books and numbers sprawled out in front of him. Jean and Bobby where there too, and Warren thought the way the sun made her hair burn like a fire was unfairly beautiful. Bobby, however, was curled a bit in on himself, causing that guilty feeling to come back to him. 

“Hey, guys,” Warren greeted nervously as he gently turned Scott exactly towards where the three were sitting. 

“Been here long?” Scott asked them.

“You could say that,” Jean shrugged, picking at a blade of grass. 

Warren took a deep breath in and then out again, steeling himself for what may be about to happen, “Look, I’m... I’m sorry. Like, really sorry. I was out of line, and I was lashing out, but you guys didn’t deserve that, not from me, not from anyone else. I’m going to be better.”

Bobby finally looked up at Warren, the two locked eyes, and a small smile crossed Bobby’s face, “Promise?”

“Promise.” 

“Alright, then. Jean?”

She pursed her lips in faux consideration, a playful smirk on her lips, “Well, maybe if you were to cover my dishes duty for the next couple of weeks…” 

“Jean, that’s mean,” Scott pouted.    
  
Jean threw her head back and laughed uncontrollably, it was truly a sight to behold, “Oh my God, Scott! It’s a joke!” 

He looked thoroughly confused, but nevertheless just shook his head and mumbled out an, “If you say so…”

Hank patted the ground next to him, an invitation that was more of an acceptance of the apology than any words could say, “Well, if I’m going to help the four of you with your chemistry class, I’m going to need more details.”

Warren sat down on the grass, then him and Jean tugged Scott down next to them, the crisply dressed teen frowning and giving a small protest about his pants getting muddy. Jean assured him the grass was perfectly dry, and they all chuckled at Scott’s pouting. 

“What kind of details, Hank?” Jean asked him, sitting forward with her hands clutching at the grass warmly. 

“Ah, well I was hoping to know more about your personal lives. Hobbies, interests… How you all got here?” 

So, that's what they did. They shared weird details about themselves, laughing and joking and enjoying the warmth of the setting sun. None of them could seem to shut up, talking over each other and getting excitable over the smallest things. They learned Scott could still see light, but sometimes it gave him headaches and that's why he tended to wear sunglasses. They learned that Bobby was into figure skating before he got here, but had to quit because there were no rinks around. Jean made him promise that he’d show them some moves if they ever managed to get out of the Institute sometime. 

Hank revealed that he was here to take his social science studies further, and explained that tutoring a group of students was part of that. Warren told him that maybe they could teach him something, too. Jean was upfront about sometimes needing a lot of time and space to herself, and the boys were quick to assure her they’d respect that. Warren admitted that he had never needed to do a lot of his own work himself, since his parents always insisted on taking care of his bad grades themselves. 

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Bobby asked with a frown. 

“It would be if I didn’t spend all the extra time going to raging parties and costing my parents even more money to cover up my other mistakes,” he shrugged. Jean set a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ll make it work, Warren. We’ll all help each other now.”

When Warren met Jean’s compassionate, kind gaze, he believed her. 

The sun had painted the sky a beautiful mix of pinks, golds, and purples when Alex Summers came out to the tree to get them, a bright smirk on his cheeks as he just stared at them from a couple of feet away. 

“You guys coming in for dinner or are you camping out tonight?” Alex asked with a bemused laugh, hands set on his hips confidently. 

“Alright, we’re coming,” Scott groaned. 

As he walked back to the Institute, surrounded by friends and warmth and comfort, his mistake forgiven, a second chance staring him right in the eyes, Warren considered that maybe this place just took some time to warm up to. It couldn’t be all bad, not when people like Scott, Hank, Jean, and Bobby came here. He just had to hope, had to keep pushing forward. 

Warren could do it, with the way Jean laughed and Bobby joked and Hank smiled and Scott shook his head endearingly, he knew it deep in his very bones. 

They weren’t alone, not anymore, and they most certainly weren’t freaks. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i have an art sideblog on tumblr where i cry abt the o5 and make a lot of ship art: https://sidedishoffanart.tumblr.com/


End file.
